This is an activity about spectroscopy. Learners make their own spectroscope and measure the wavelengths of spectral lines. Then, they will record the colors, patterns, and wavelengths of the lines from various light sources. This activity requires...(View More) use of gas discharge tubes and power supplies. This is Actividad 10.1 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity that uses numerical information to help dispel the prior conception that distance from the Sun causes the seasons on Earth. Learners will examine two images of the Sun, taken six months apart, measure the apparent diameter of the...(View More) Sun over the course of twelve months, calculate the approximate Earth-Sun distance for each observation, and graph the data. This is Activity B-8 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about observation. Learners will make a 3-dimensional model of a mock planetary surface inside a box, and then place a lid on top. They will then introduce a simple probe, such as a pencil or stick, at various points through...(View More) regularly-placed holes in the box top to touch the surface below. Then, they will record the depth at which the probe descends, using the data to make a contour map of its surface. This will help learners see how scientists can research objects which are not easily studied strictly by visual means. This is Activity C-7 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about astrobiology. Learners will research one planet within our Solar System and create an alien based on the temperature, gravity, terrain, radiation exposure, composition, and atmosphere of that planet. Then, each person will...(View More) display his or her alien for the group to examine and determine the planet to which each alien belongs. This is Actividad 9.3 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about observation. Learners will make a 3-dimensional model of a mock planetary surface inside a box, and then place a lid on top. They will then introduce a simple probe, such as a pencil or stick, at various points through...(View More) regularly-placed holes in the box top to touch the surface below. Then, they will record the depth at which the probe descends, using the data to make a contour map of its surface. This will help learners see how scientists can research objects which are not easily studied strictly by visual means. This is Actividad 3.4 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity involving science and creative writing. In groups, learners will develop their own list of the 12 most important tourist attractions the Solar System offers and make a travel brochure to explain their reasoning. This activity is...(View More) best done at the end of a unit or set of lessons about our Solar System. This is Activity M-2 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about scale. Learners will use toilet paper squares as a standard measuring unit for a Solar System model and will determine the scaled distance between each planet using the data provided. This is Actividad 4.2 as part of El...(View More) Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about cultural references to astronomy. Learners will create a list of products that have been named after astronomical objects, which the class discusses. As a homework project, they can search local stores or media for...(View More) additional astronomical references. This is Actividad 13.2 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about comets. Depending on the grade level of learners, either the instructor or the learners will construct a model comet using dry ice, ammonia, dirt, corn syrup, and water. This is Activity E-2 of Universe at Your Fingertips...(View More) 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase.(View Less)

This is an activity about science and pseudo-science. Learners will examine the validity of astrology by charting birth dates of U.S. presidents and by comparing horoscopes in different newspapers. After, students will attempt to identify their own...(View More) horoscope from an unidentified list of daily predictions. This is Activity K-2 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase. A free version of this activity is available on the Astronomical Society of the Pacific website: http://www.astrosociety.org/edu/astro/act3/astrologyprint.html.(View Less)